Bonus Bestiary - Caryatid Column

[Bolo Orcson]

Here that came up in my game today.... We had a monk using unarmed strike against the caryatid column, which has the special ability:

Shatter Weapons (Ex) Whenever a character strikes a caryatid column with a weapon (magical or nonmagical), the weapon takes 3d6 points of damage. Apply the weapon’s hardness normally. Weapons that take any amount of damage in excess of their hardness gain the broken quality.

So how does this affect the monk's fists? At the time I ruled ignored the special ability against the fists of the monk, but I am still unsure about this....

[TriOmegaZero]

I would have ruled the same as you did. The monk manages to get around that hazard, making it suited for fighting that creature. If the players had realized it, they could have adjusted tactics to it, helping buff the monk and using ranged weapons while he took it on hand to hand. This is much better than everyone pulling out ranged weapons and kiteing it.

[James Jacobs]

The caryatid column's shatter weapons defense only works against manufactured weapons. It doesn't hurt unarmed strikes or natural attacks.

[Bolo Orcson]

James Jacobs wrote:

The caryatid column's shatter weapons defense only works against manufactured weapons. It doesn't hurt unarmed strikes or natural attacks.

Cool. That was how I ruled it but thought i would post just to throw it out there if an edit ever takes place.

[James Risner]

James Jacobs wrote:

The caryatid column's shatter weapons defense only works against manufactured weapons. It doesn't hurt unarmed strikes or natural attacks.

Unless the monk chooses to make his unarmed strikes a manufactured weapon for the purpose of the caryatid's ability. ;-)